For everyone that’s asked, here it is! My natural hair routine. I’ve laid it out in terms of how often I do what I do and what I use. I find it really easy to stick to other than when I’m wearing a protective style. As usual, most items linked are on some sort of promo so I’d get them sooner rather than later if you’re interested! If you have questions about any of the products or anything else, please comment below and they’ll be answered in an upcoming Q&A post!

EVERYDAY

Refresh curls with H20 using a spray bottle

EVERY OTHER DAY (if Shae is dry)

Refresh curls with any or a mixture of the following (depending on how dry hair is):

Protein Treatment which if I’m honest I haven’t done in 2 months but when I do I buy protein packs like this one from the local hair & beauty shop. Now that Shae is longer, I use this which is also an amazing deep conditioner that doubles as a protein treatment too.

EVERY 3-6 MONTHS

Baby trim by a stylist that is confident with natural afro hair.

So there you go! Told you (those that ask me in person) that I really don’t use that much and in my opinion less is more when it comes to hair natural or not. Plus the products you use are important but they aren’t everything! The best formula for healthy hair (of all types not just natural) is:

the right products + the right product application technique (whether it’s your hands or tools and how) + the right diet (as balanced as possible with lots of water) + the right attitude (practising self care and keeping up with your hair routine)

DISCLAIMER: This is what currently works for my hair and its texture. I’m sharing these products because of how many people have asked, not because I’m claiming to be a natural hair guru/expert. Everybody’s hair is different, even those with a similar looking texture. Please please please check out the routines of others, product reviews etc before investing in any and #learnyourhair!

I always get asked what I use on my hair and to be honest there are no specifics. I used to be a major product junkie using like 10 products every wash and go. Yeah don’t worry, I’ve since learnt from my foolishness and only use what Shae needs to get through the week looking as tame and presentable as possible. Since I’m always changing up what I use, I thought it’d be beneficial to share anything new I’m trying every month, especially what Shae has been enjoying the most with you all. My May faves are Shea Moisture’s Sacha Inchi Rescue & Repair Hair Masque and Eco Style’s Black Castor and Flaxseed Oil Styling Gel.

Shea Moisture Sacha Inchi Oil Rescue & Repair Hair Masque

I’ve been using this since I got it in New York earlier this year and I don’t think I’ll be using anything else until it finishes! I had never seen this type before and was immediately drawn by the two words ‘omega’ and ‘rescue’ on the packaging. As I guessed, Sacha Inchi Oil comes from seeds grown in the rainforests of South America. The oil is 90% essential fatty acids (the good stuff) and therefore rich in proteins, vitamins and more. Loved by veggies and vegans for their diet, it’s set to become the latest trend in the world of superfoods. Until I spot it at my local supermarket, I think I’ll stick to using it in my hair lol.

For those that have tried the Jamaican Black Castor Oil Masque from Shea Moisture, the two are similar in the way that they add moisture to my hair however I think the Sacha Inchi masque works better with my hair type and texture as it doesn’t leave my hair feeling too heavy. To be honest, Shae is not a fan of shea butter (a key ingredient in the castor oil masque) so maybe that’s why. Overall, I would definitely repurchase and if you spot the Sacha Inchi oil in the UK somewhere, let your girl know please!

Eco Style’s Black Castor and Flaxseed Oil Styling Gel

Eco Styler (I don’t know why my tub says ‘style’) gel is the only product I’ve used from the day I big chopped until now. Once you learn what products it works well with for your hair, this stuff is amazing. For a long time I was using the pink one (smells amazing!) with #8 hold. This was ideal as I felt the other lines with #10 hold were making my hair too crunchy and caused flaking. Although this new line has #10 hold, the ongoing online craze made me super tempted to give it a go, especially as I managed to find it in my local hair shop for less than £2 (for the smallest sized tub)! Both castor and flaxseed oil promote hair growth and are good at adding as well as keeping the hair moisturised and you can see them at work in this product. Since using it, my wash and gos have never looked so defined and are moisturised for longer than usual. Also, I’m yet to experience any flakes or crunchiness.

Look out for the next Shae post where I’ll be sharing my hair routine so be sure to check it out if you’d like to see what other products I use as well as these two!

I appreciate the increasing growth of/admiration for the natural hair movement. It’s what inspired me to try it for myself and I love encouraging other people of colour to do the same. I recently attempted a list of ‘the pros and cons of being natural’ and realised there were quite a few things that others do or say in response to my hair that annoy me…

Asking if your hair is real and why. I get that we grew up with stereotypes that have conditioned us to believe that the texture of your hair is dependent on your ethnicity. Fair enough that is partly true. BUT, as with everything there are always exceptions. I also get that people are curious and I love answering specific questions about natural hair but I cannot stand when someone asks whether your hair is real. You say yes. THEN they have the cheek to ask ‘why?’ or ‘how comes?’. You might as well ask me why I have two ears!

Touching my hair before asking me. I don’t mind people touching my hair but why ask me AFTER you’ve just rolled your hands through it and made it all frizzy?! Then afterwards, they’ll look at you super confused when their hands are sticky/shiny with styling products #sorrynotsorry #donttouchmyhairlove

Criticising naturals that dye/cut/straighten their hair. The great thing about natural hair is that it’s a versatile blank canvas to play with. I cannot stand when others (including other naturalistas) condemn or criticise naturalistas for experimenting with their hair. Not all naturals are hippies and therefore against chemical hair practices such as dyes or relaxers. Let me do with my hair what I please and if I don’t like the result, I’m very happy knowing that I can cut it all off because it will grow back again eventually.

Commenting on protective styling. When I chopped off my relaxed ends and my natural hair was ‘short’, people would straight up ask me when I was looking to book a hair appointment to get extensions put in. This made me very self-conscious and aware of my huge head, facial features and the fact that short hair clearly didn’t suit me. So since year one (of being natural), with the help of YouTube, I taught myself how to do a variety of styles such as faux locs, marley twists (okay maybe not so many lol) and I made a conscious effort to do them as often as I could. Fast forward to now and my hair is much longer, people are so confused as to why I still feel the need to do protective styles and say ‘just leave it out!’. I can’t please everyone and at the end of the day, it is my hair. Natural hair is not only presentable when it’s ‘long’ but then again that’s up to the person’s preference. Keep your opinions to yourself.

Have you experienced any of the above? Are there any that I’ve missed out?! Let me know in the comments. Feel free to leave any recommendations for hair posts or any questions about my natural hair journey below. If I get a more than a few, I might film a vid answering them!